Functions of a Gear Drive:
A gear drive has three main functions: to increase torque from the driving equipment (motor) to the driven equipment, to reduce the speed generated by the motor, and/or to change the direction of the rotating shafts. The connection of this equipment to the gear box can be accomplished by the use of couplings, belts, chains, or through hollow shaft connections.
Speed and torque are inversely and proportionately related when power is held constant. Therefore, as speed decreases, torque increases at the same ratio.
The heart of a gear drive is obviously the gears within it. Gears operate in pairs, engaging one another to transmit power.